Multiple impinging stream vortex injector

Abstract

Current state-of-the art injection methodologies for bipropellant engines ly on either impingement or turbulence to mix the fuel and oxidizer streams. The multiple impinging stream vortex injector combines both mixing schemes into a single injector. Both first stage mixing at point of impingement and second stage mixing or turbulent vortex mixing is accomplished by impinging momentum balanced, tangentially injected propellant streams onto one another. The impingement angles are calculated to yield a resultant stream vector that consists of only a tangential velocity component. The two stages of mixing results in increased engine performance and combustion efficiency.

We claim: 
     
       1. A multiple impinging stream vortex injector in combination with an engine assembly comprising: (i) an injector body secured within an engine assembly which is comprised of a head closure, a face plate, an aft closure, and said injector body, said injector body, said head closure, said face plate, and said aft closure secured together to form an engine assembly having said injector body as a central, integral part of said engine assembly;   (ii) a combustion chamber and an exhaust nozzle with a throat portion extending in a perpendicular direction from said combustion chamber for discharging combustion gases, said combustion chamber and said nozzle and throat portion defined by said face plate and said injector body;   (iii) an oxidizer manifold inlet in communication with a plurality of oxidizer orifice inlets, each of said oxidizer inlets connected to a separate channel extending through said injector body and terminating with oxidizer injector orifice outlets in said combustion chamber, each of said oxidizer orifice outlets functioning to inject a liquid propellant oxidizer at an angle of injection to provide an impinging tangential velocity component with a liquid propellant fuel injected simultaneously at an angle of injection to provide an impinging tangential velocity component into said combustion chamber in a similar manner to achieve first stage mixing at the impingement point of said liquid propellant oxidizer and said liquid propellant fuel; and,   (iv) a fuel manifold inlet in communication with a plurality of fuel orifice inlets, each of said fuel inlets connected to a separate channel extending through said injector body and terminating with fuel injector orifice outlets in said combustion chamber, said fuel orifice outlets functioning to inject a liquid propellant fuel at an angle of injection to provide an impinging tangential velocity component with a liquid propellant oxidizer injected simultaneously at an angle of injection to provide an impinging tangential velocity component in said combustion chamber in a similar manner to achieve initial hypergolic combustion with the first stage of mixing at the impingement point of said liquid propellant oxidizer and said liquid propellant fuel and with complete mixing and combustion of the liquid propellant oxidizer and liquid propellant fuel occurring by a second stage vortex mixing created by said initial hypergolic combustion at said first stage of mixing at said impingement point.